SUPPLY CHAIN ARTICLES

  • The mRNA Supply Chain Revolution: Materials, Methods, And Momentum

    mRNA innovation now hinges as much on manufacturing materials as on molecular design, with novel inputs shaping performance, cost, and scalability. As these less-mature materials move rapidly into production, strategic material selection and supplier alignment are becoming critical to manufacturing resilience and long-term success.

  • Innovations In The Oligonucleotide Supply Chain: Regulatory Considerations For Materials, Manufacturing, And Lifecycle Control

    Oligonucleotide therapeutics have rapidly advanced into late-stage and commercial development, shifting regulatory focus toward the maturity of manufacturing and supply chain control rather than therapeutic novelty. Regulatory success now depends on how effectively sponsors translate innovative chemistries into well-characterized, scalable, and sustainable materials and processes.

  • Beyond The Gold Standard(s): Modernizing Oligonucleotide Synthesis

    A few weeks ago, I had the chance to sit down with OPT Congress speaker Phil Baran, Richard Lerner Chair Professor, Department of Chemistry, Scripps Research. Baran was slated to (and did) present a keynote on the innovations shaping the next generation of oligo synthesis. Here, I share the biggest takeaways I had from our conversation, touching on how he sees the science of oligo chemistry and manufacturing advancing in the near and far future. 

  • Biomanufacturing Capacity Crunch: It's The Supply Chain's Fault

    What's behind the protracted biopharma manufacturing capacity crunch, when will it end, and what are manufacturers doing to keep supply on track? During Biotech Week in Boston ad BioProcess International, CDMOs and sponsors weighed in.

  • What Violin Making Can Teach Us About mRNA Therapeutic Quality

    Managing the mRNA supply chain and working in mRNA process development may not look anything like the work a luthier does to hew an instrument from an ancient spruce tree. But violin craftmanship actually serves as a fantastic metaphor for the challenging work the mRNA therapeutics space is tackling in sourcing and qualifying raw materials and optimizing the critical IVT reaction.

  • The Price Is… Almost Right: mRNA Edition! COGS Reduction Strategies

    The following article will outline the current state of COGS in the mRNA industry and the work he and his colleagues undertook to more effectively utilize raw materials. But heaven forbid this be your normal conference panel write-up. No, below I share Parrella’s insights, but in the form of a never-before released episode of The Price is Right…or perhaps more fittingly given the state of the industry today, this spectacle is more aptly titled: The Price is…Sort Of, Almost, Not Quite Right! 

SUPPLY CHAIN VIDEOS

While the speed of production and flexibility of mRNA are appealing, several industry challenges must still be addressed to realize the full potential and further expand its use.

In this Bioprocess Online Live panel, we discuss the current state of the mRNA supply chain for critical raw materials and manufacturing supplies and where pain points still exist.

What is the biggest hurdle to reaching metric-ton RNA production? In this segment, Advancing RNA Live speaker Claire McCleod discusses the biggest challenges to producing blockmers and in what ways the industry is reimagining upstream manufacturing to enable more efficient ligation. 

Hosted by Cell & Gene Collaborative's Director Anna Rose Welch, ARW on RNA puts a creative spin on the emerging mRNA + RNA therapeutics industry. Here, in Episode 3, Welch explores the similarities that exist between the art of crafting a high quality violin and the upstream process development work mRNA therapeutics experts are performing today to create the most ideal mRNA drug substance.

ARTICLES, APP NOTES, CASE STUDIES, & WHITE PAPERS